Focus Inn

I'm happy to report that both Annie and Prince like your suggestions of "Lickin' Good Delights" and your motto, "tail waggin' good." Unfortunately, Prince wants to call it Prince's Lickin' Good Delights because it is starting in Florida under his management and Annie of course wants her name to precede the name. Oh brother, those two! Rest assured that nothing will be said to Tom or Joanie about this adventure. I just hope they can come together on it. This much tension over the name before it even opens is frankly not a good sign.

I did and continue to enjoy those marvelous pancakes of Bowser's. I did request the recipe but he said that if he gave it to me he would have to charge me way more than it's worth. He pointed out that as a master chef he is bound by certain legalities and agreed upon ethics. This particular recipe would cost $1,249.99. He did say that he would be willing to arrange monthly payments for you with a very low interest rate. He asked that you let him know if you are still interested.

OK, Prince and Annie just came in. They dropped the Prince or Annie from the name and are just using the Lickin' Good Delights name by itself. I'm glad that's settled.

Roscoe, who is sitting next to Tom enjoying the strokes while Prince and Annie are outside with Jack discussing the sign with the name of the ice cream parlor. Jack of course will be making the sign.

*************

Dear Mom,

Everything is going very well here in Florida. Prince and I have named our ice cream parlor using your suggestion. We are also using the motto that you suggested. Everything is moving along smoothly. We should have it built and ready to run by next Wednesday. That's the day that I'll be coming home. And I'll be ready by noon. You don't have to worry about me mom. And I'll do my best to make sure Roscoe is ready too.

Gee mom, stuff under my bed. I wonder who put it there. What was it? I certainly haven't noticed it before. Maybe one of the Chihuahuas stuck some stuff under it while I am in Florida. But I can't imagine why the soldier would do that.

So that guy won't sell or rent. Stupid human! Well, I'm not going to let that bother me. I'll just build one using the same design that Jack built for Prince. I've talked with Jack and he said he can join us when I come up. He'll slip over ...er, come over to Tom's and go from here with me. That's OK, isn't it mom? We can build just a short ways from the Gonzalez's pasture and build a beautiful curvy path from the road to the parlor. Or if you don't like that idea, I suppose I could use our deck. Anyway, they can park on the side of the road and wonder up the lovely inviting path to our ice cream parlor. Oh mom, I'm so excited about this.

Annie, who is very curious about what you will find under the bed and who may have put it there. (Is that Chihuahua going to be in trouble mom?)

Edited by: THOMAS.H at: 12/8/2016 (12:15)

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

perhaps Annie and Prince can find a neutral name to agree upon....Lickin' Good Delights....Cold Noses......etc and their motto can be "tail waggin' good"....hehehehe.....suggest the neutral name idea to them....or suggest they name it Roscoe's! hahahaha......just remember, don't mention this venture to Tom....at least that is what Annie told me, so discuss it with her or Prince before you say anything to Tom or Joanie........

as far as travel plans, your father will be leaving her THIS coming sunday....and he will pick you up on Wed (the 14th, I think is the date).....I am not suing anyone myself,...it was a suggestion for annie.........its up to her....

speaking of annie...............oh, never mind...I will do it....

enjoy your pancakes with Bowser...perhaps you could get his recipe since I seldom make them

Mom who is enjoying another QUIET moment with tea ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

dear Annie

how are things in FL? has your presence helped tom to recover from his nasty fall?? (I am sure it has),,,,,,of course, you are missed here, but stay as long as you need to..........or until next Wed which is when your father will pick you up....be packed by noon.....you know how he will be if you keep him waiting....Roscoe, Prince and Tom, I am sure, will be happy to escort you out to keep you safe from the Brig Commander.....{just a suggestion...perhaps if you give him one of your beautiful smiles, an ice cream cone of one of your delicious concoctions, and maybe even a tail sniff he will get over his bad attitude towards you}.....

while vacuuming for something or other the other day, I found a lot of "stuff" under your beds....we must discuss this when you get back...

I do have a bit of bad news......the owner of the former restaurant down the road is refusing to rent or sell to a dog....he said the business would be doomed to failure because (1) it is owned by a dog who would eat the inventory and (2) nobody would by ice cream in winter and (3) all dogs are dirty, smelly animals and he will not allow them in his building....such bad attitude! I am sorry to have to deliver this news....the owner was a bit hostile when he called me......

Mom who thinks she should go through the pile of 'stuff" she found under Annie's beds and see exactly what is there

We need clarification. Today is Wednesday and you said dad would pick us up on Wednesday. But you said that he would leave on Sunday. Since this week's Sunday is past, we assume you mean next Sunday and therefore next Wednesday. If this is not correct, please let us know ASAP so we can prepare to leave today. It's getting kind of late for that though. Our bags are not yet packed.

Annie says she thinks your idea for making Tom and Joanie some of her ice cream is a wonderful idea. While she is at it, she can make up some for the store here. Oh, did you know that Prince will be running the Florida branch of the Prince and Annie (or is it Annie and Prince) ice cream parlor. I think they are still debating that name. Annie thinks it should be Annie and Prince since she concocted the idea and the recipes. Prince thinks it should be Prince and Annie since its first opening will be in Florida. But I suppose they will work it out. I suggested flipping a coin, but neither seemed to want to leave something as important as a name up to chance.

Oh, for some reason, Annie seems to feel that it might be best if you didn't sue the limo company. In fact, she is quite insistent about that. I asked her why she felt that way but all she could say is, "Roscoe, it just isn't any of your business but mom MUST NOT sue that stupid limo driver." I'm not certain, but she may just feel sorry for him. Apparently she feels he isn't too smart and doesn't have it altogether upstairs if you know what I mean. She said if anyone gets sued it should be the brig commander, but you know they have an ongoing feud. I think the brig commander should drop it but he is as stubborn as Annie. Oh what a pair they make.

Oh, I told Tom about the carpet. He declined the offer. He says that they have all the carpet they can use. He also mumbled under his breath something about sending him bugs, indeed! But I can't be positive about exactly what he said. Frankly mom, I don't think it was very nice, but again, I can't really be sure.

Roscoe, who is taking the day off from training the recruits and plans to gorge on another Bowser seven course dinner.

Edited by: THOMAS.H at: 12/7/2016 (10:02)

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

Once again your father has to visit the home office in FL...he will leave here on Sunday and pick y'all up on Wed. afternoon....I will keep you informed if there are any changes to his schedule....please be packed and ready by noon, although I am not sure exactly what time he will be there.....do you think Tom and Joanie will be okay with this? maybe Annie can make them some ice cream one night after dinner...you know...like the delicious ones she made here...I can text her a recipe if she needs me to (and if she will tell me where she keeps them)......I find it odd that the limo driver refused to show up or take messages....tell annie we will sue their pants off after she gets home.....certainly she should receive a refund if she paid in advance......

remember when you father hung the carpet over the lanai bannister railing a few weeks ago.? at first I would not let it come back into the house because it had dozens of little black bugs on it...and they were moving (yuk!)...this morning I noticed there were hundreds of these bugs (although they did not seem to be moving....)...the willow tree branches hang over the rug and I am assuming the bugs are falling from the tree....I have asked the house guard to notify whomever is in charge of the toxin guns to investigate and poof the little critters if necessary.......necessary or not, that rug will NEVER come back inside my house! *shudder*......FL is known for having lots of bugs.....should I send it down there?

We have all been very busy down here. Prince and Jack are working on a building project together and Annie has been working to keep Tom healthy. As for myself, I've been teaching camouflage techniques to a large number of recent recruits. In the evenings Prince, Jack and I get together and share stories of our days work and a few other stories you don't need to know about. As for Annie, she joins us, but she doesn't tell stories. She prefers to practice poses. It all goes pretty well except for those poses of Annie's that require sound effects (snorting and the like).

We were packed and ready to come when the limo driver was supposed to be here. He didn't show and hasn't shown up since. Annie tried to message him but got nothing in return. Well, she did get her message back marked "refused delivery." I don't know what is going on. Meanwhile, Tom has tried several times to talk the eagles into taking us. They will carry me but not Annie. I could have come, but I feel a bit responsible for taking care of the old girl. (Don't let Annie know that I called her that.)

Tom has called the bus system, taxi services, trains, airplanes...all refuse to serve canines. The airlines will carry us but only in containers which are put in (gasp) the baggage compartment. No way will we put up with that, and Tom refuses to let us travel that way anyway.

Mom, if you have any ideas, please let me know. Meanwhile, I will watch over Annie. (You don't suppose dad could come for us?)

I asked Annie what you might have found under the bed, but she says she has no earthly idea. She hasn't put stuff under there for years.

Roscoe, who is totally frustrated with all transportation systems.

**********

TO: Will-o'-the Whippet, CAMP TQ, VA (TOP SECRET) FROM: ROSCOE

I'm quite concerned about the chupe problem there but I do have confidence in our trained Chihuahua warriors. As for the chupe that was "sick." It is possible that that guy recognized that he was outnumbered, having more than five soldiers aiming toxin guns at him. When one left he likely thought he had a chance. Well, pretoxin he might have, but with the advent of anti-chupe toxin he was no match for five soldiers. He may have had a chance with one Chihuahua soldier if that soldier relaxed his guard for even a moment. Not likely though.

I'd like to be there to work on recruit training, but currently I feel like I'm between a rock and a hard place. The rock is the lack of transportation and the hard place is a certain sister who I feel I cannot leave. It is a quandery.

Roscoe, who is still contemplating the transportation system, or rather, the lack thereof.

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

Annie went to Fl on nursing business related to Tom's disastrous fall at the dog park....it is nice that she is so (naturally) dedicated and caring..... my agreement with her was that she was to depart from Tom's on Sun. I expected her back by Sun. afternoon or early this morning... however, Annie is not here....she is there.....Tom explained that the limo driver did not arrive....please see what you can do to fix this issue....I have been all over and under Annie's beds and storage areas and cannot find the name of the limo company or I would contact them myself...once arrangements have been made you may need to accompany your sister to make sure she gets home safely.....Annie and I will have several interesting conversations about the item that I did find under her bed

the people who own the mcmansion next door were here last weekend...they said they heard coyotes howling in the woods at night right next to their driveway.....our wawas say it was chupacabras, not coyotes....their was a small battle as they dispatched the intruders, but I really do not like the chupes this close to the property.....

last Sat. night/early Sun. morning there was a small battle between the forces of evil (chupes) and the forces of good (our guys) along the property line that divides Camp TQ from the mcmansion.....it was fierce, tho brief....because the neighbours reported hearing coyotes, we were alerted and able to sneak up on the band of chupes and annihilate them completely with toxin.....yesterday, as the sun was coming up, in spite of early morning cold and rain, our brave wawas went out, armed with toxin, and found a small encampment on the other side of the hill, well with the property lines of the mcmansion property (so there can be no complaints from those Amnesty International critters)....1 extremely surprised chupe was lying in the back of a cave, ill from having eaten a "bad" raccoon.....he voluntarily surrendered....this was completely surprising to our guys and they pondered what sort of raccoon could possibly make the chupe so ill that he would abandon his vicious chupe nature.....one soldier left the cave to call the Commander on his cellphone to make arrangements to either destroy the chupe or cage him and send him to UNC-Canine to be studied....before the wawa could finish his call, the chupe reared up and charged at the 5 soldiers still remaining in the cave....fortunately, our guys inside the cave had not relaxed their vigil and were able to shoot him with toxin thereby turning the beast into a puff of "smoke".....the questions remain.....was the chupe lying about being ill? was he really ill but able to assert him when he heard the soldier on the phone talking about caging him and making him an object of scientific study? it is difficult to know the chupe mind....

The limo driver did not stop by as planned. We did hear a bit of a ruckus earlier and thought it might be him but that was a false alarm. I have no idea what the ruckus was but limo man didn't show.

We thought he might come today but so far he hasn't come. I've contacted the eagles and explained the situation hoping that they would help out this one time, but they refuse.

Annie has been a great help here. I did hear her asking Joanie about dresses but all I heard from that was a bit of a giggle from Joanie. Annie came back in and laid next to me on the couch where Prince usually lies when he and Jack aren't building what ever they are building. It's been weird around here. But Annie has been great company. I pet her while she poses. Frankly, most of her poses look ever so much like sleep, but she assures me that they are only poses and that she is keeping in pose shape.

If you know anyone who is coming to Florida for a visit, perhaps you can arrange Annie's transportation, at least an alternative transportation should the limo guy not show...ever.

Tom, who needs to finish the laundry and work on his dance routine. Annie, I need to get up now...ANNIE!

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

Yes, the Chihuahuas are literally jumping through hoops to get an interview for the reindeer job. Sadly, Santa has not granted an interview with any of them. I do understand a couple of deer from Camp TQ have been interviewed.

Tom, who has noticed that Prince and Jack have been working on their project almost 24/7. I'm starting to get a bit concerned about what might be so compulsively engaging their minds. Ah well. Canines.

***********

To: LIMO DRIVER From: Tom

What on earth did you send to the brig commander. I heard him laughing when he received it and then he to it into tiny pieces, through them in the air, and laughed and laughed some more. Frankly, he has a terrible laugh. I request that you do not send him any more jokes. Please.

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

*whispering from under the bed* wow! that was a rough arrival! I hope everybody is okay from your militia....good thing I hired the best or I would have been dog toast by those thugs who follow around the Brig Commander.....however, this unforeseen battle is probably going to cost me a huge tip when the guys pick me up on Sun.....I don't know if Freddy will be coming since he was wounded when one of the Brig Commander's grenades exploded on his suit...I know they will expect me to pay for a new suit....sigh.....and the damage to the car when it hit the oil slick, and got stuck in the shrubbery....boy, is your mom gonna be mad! oh, well, nursing is my duty, which I joyfully do because I am naturally compassionate, to take care of your dad when he is not well......I did notice that Freddy, who is not naturally calm like I am, threw a rock at one of the thugs and hit him in the shoulder.....I hope his limping reminds him with every step of the wrong road he has taken by worshipping the Brig Commander!

BTW, I brought a small cooler with a couple of containers of my homemade ice cream....I put the ice cream on the lowest shelf in the kitchen freezer in the very, very back....you should move it, if possible, to another location as soon as possible......and don't worry, I will not mention our joint business to your dad....I know how he is about food.....

Annie who must force herself to get up from recovery and check that Tom is getting the proper healing meals ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ATTN: BRIG COMMANDER, CAMP HOWE FROM LIMO DRIVER

here is your bill in the amount of $1,149 for a new suit, ruined by one of your oil grenades here is your bill in the amount of $2,396 for repairs to the limo when , becuz of your oil slick, went into the bushes and had to be hauled out by a tow truck

Please be advised we will be back at Camp Howe to take away Nurse Annie at the prearranged time (discuss it with her) and will expect no further hostile actions on your part.....have the check or cash ready for us at that time

In spite of the inconvenience of dealing with your attack, I was impressed with the oil grenades and would appreciate 15 mins. of your time to discuss them.....Are you possibly interested in high security work outside of Camp Howe?

I am really looking forward to seeing you. I told Dad you were coming and he was...uh, well gee, he was speechless...almost. He did say something about hoping you have prepaid because all of our money goes for medical expenses these days. Be really careful what you say. I haven't exactly told him specifically what that building Jack is building is going to be. I would like to be up and operational before broaching the topic with my very understanding dad.

Prince, who needs to go back out and work with Jack some more. This place is going to have good bones. (No Annie, that is not something to chew on.)

**********

Attn: Limo driver first car FROM: Commander, Howe Camp, FL

The brig commander is in an uproar over Annie's decision to invade our land. He says she is on the most wanted list of sneaky doers. He has assigned several highly trained and skilled Chihuahua guards to occupy strategic bunkers and is prepared to shoot rocket grenades in front of both of your vehicles. These grenades, upon impact, burst and leave an oil slick on the road that even the most expert of drivers cannot maintain vehicle control. Other guards are armed and ready should any attack be forthcoming. You have been warned.

***********

Dear Annie,

Prince tells me that you are coming for a short visit and plan to exercise your nursing skills with me while you are here. I just want you to know how sweet I think that is of you. I shall look forward to both your nursing skills and your company. Prince seems so preoccupied with some sort of project he and Jack have going that I hardly see him.

Tom, who is about to take some more cherry-grass coated ibuprofen for pain.

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

you need to be more careful with your dad...humans are just not built for endurance and speed like we are....I am coming to take care of him, so expect me soon...we can chat about our ice cream parlours whenever you dad doses off.....

Annie who will see you soon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Attn: Prince Howe Attn: Commander, Howe Camp, FL Attn: Roscoe

FROM: Limo driver first car

Expect a long black limo followed by a black suv with tinted windows and a gun turret on the roof.....Nurse Annie is arriving to take care of Tom Howe who apparently has taken a serious fall....I understand this is a military camp and due to hostiles possibly in the area, Nurse Annie will not leave the limo until all doors are being protected by the bodyguards who are travelling in the suv AND limo....whereupon Nurse Annie will quickly alight and be escorted into the Howe home where she will be safe...please alert your gate guards that everyone except Nurse Annie will be armed to the teeth....As soon as Nurse Annie is inside, the limo, the suv and all bodyguards will immediately leave the Howe Camp premises....if there is any interference in this plan drastic measures will be taken.....we understand that proper identification must be presented at the gates and this will be done....pls. note the tag on the limo is LIMOFUN and the car tags on the suv read as "STRNGARM".....if no one is at home to receive and welcome Nurse Annie, she will take a nap until someone returns....This limo and the suv will return for pick up of Nurse Annie on Sun. at 0900 hours...expected stay of vehicles on property for both drop off and pick up is 6 mins.

Later......

dear Prince

travelling is exhausting....I am in the house and napping next to the couch (too exhausted to climb up)

Thanks for the complement on my planning ability. I might add that you are a great designer of ice cream flavors. Looks like we will be quite the team when it comes to running our ice cream parlors. I can't wait to get started. In fact, I cleared the area yesterday and later today Jack is going to start construction of the structure. His dad has some wood in the garage and he will use that. I asked him if it was OK with his dad to use the wood and Jack reminded me that this was his house too so he didn't even need to ask. Hmmm. I wonder. But then, I assume Jack knows what he's talking about. It is his dad!

Prince, who needs to go to our vacant lot and help Jack with the ice cream parlor project.

***********

Dear Annie,

Oh my, your mom does get a bit excited when she is online with people. I wonder what she says when she reads my messages. Perhaps I don't want to know.

Well, I had a great rehearsal with Michaela yesterday and we have another scheduled for tomorrow. I took a bit of a spill at dog park (outside the gate on the cement) and I'm really really sore. I hope that I am able to rehearse tomorrow, but I will go if I can. I'll just have to dose myself with ibuprofen and cherry grass tonic. I'm not all that fond of cherry grass flavor, but I find that if I mix it with a smoothie it is tolerable. I have some strawberry syrup. Perhaps I'll make a strawberry flavored smoothie with cherry grass, banana, yogurt and ice. Should be OK. I'll have it for lunch before going to the studio for rehearsal.

Tom, who plans to take it really easy this afternoon.

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

you are a good planner....this ice cream thing will be a hit! when mom came home this afternoon she said the outside lights were on in MY ice cream shop! I do hope the landlord is just checking that everything is clean and nice prior to my inspection.....I have been spending the day thinking up new flavors to make....yes, we will have the traditional ones, but will need some new flavors to make our places special.....I can't wait!

Annie ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

dear tom.

mom was on the phone for an exceedingly long time with Amazon.com and was not happy with their online representative, Mark....I overheard her muttering things like "idiot!!" and "what is wrong with you?!" when she was typing....sometimes Mark would go away and mom would take that time to heat some kale (yuk) or go outside to put Henrietta in her coop.....finally she got off the computer and called amazon.com's Customer Service and talked to someone else...mom liked this woman because she solved mom's problem quickly and apparently they knew the same places, or people or something...CS in located in the Philippines, and mom has been there......Amazon sent mom a "how did it go" survey afterwards and mom said Mark was an idiot, but Marra deserved a raise.....I asked mom where the Philippines are and she said it was a very long airplane trip away and I would have to travel in a box...me? in a box? I don't think so! this puppy is keeping her dainty paws on the ground...mom seems tired

speaking of which....mom came home with a strange smell on her hand...she said it was hamster, specifically a hamster named Queen Sadie who mom said was adorable...I wondered if Sadie was large enough to make a meal, and mom agreed she was, but she said I could not invite Sadie here for dinner.....too bad.....

I do like the sound of that...owner of my own ice cream parlor. We own a vacant lot right next to the one the house is on. There are bushes and weeds growing on it as well as a small hill about half way to the back. I could tuck a cute little parlor back in the back part surrounded by trees, bushes and the loveliest weeds that you've ever seen. A curvy path from the front to the back will invite my customers. On the other side of the street there is a canal and between the canal and the road is a strip of grass. The county owns it but it could be used as a parking space. I'm sure the county wouldn't mind since I've seen fishermen on it a lot. And as for dad and mom, well, when they have a party that's where people park. And this would be in front of the extra lot; of course, the space across from the house could be used as overflow parking. Jack says it's doable. He even has some ideas for auto-manufacture of the various ice creams...just push a couple of buttons he says. I'm excited.

By the way, I like the picture. I understand why Facebook Canine won't send it though. The only four legged person in it is a cat. It must have at least one dog to be allowed. Anyway, you found a way to share it so I'm happy.

Prince, who is reviewing plans with Jack as we speak.

*********

Dear Annie,

I think that your mom will very likely support your business in the near future. You are right that the banana chips are a clue. I most certainly would support Prince were he to choose such an endeavor. Of course, he is far too busy with military matters to go into business so that is obviously a non-issue.

Tom, who is thinking of ice cream and has decided to have ice cream on his cereal for breakfast.

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

mom is still saying no..............but she bought me some banana chips to use as I practice my Hawaiian Hula Punch Crunch ice cream, so its obvious that her "no" means "maybe, probably yes

Annie whose anorexia makes her exhausted so she is going to take a nap ___________________ Dear Prince

I tell you what, if my ice cream store is a big success here (as I am sure it will be), perhaps I will need to open another shop, and you can manage it right there.....if you persuade Jack, perhaps he will build you a small shop right on your property, or better yet, he could just update Lulu's old house....I am sure you dad won't object once you put in a special pathway for customers to the shop.....anyway, I will let you know how things go

btw, I tried to send you this comic becuz I thought it was funny and reminded me of you, but FB Canine refused to allow it to pass...utter nonsense (utter idiots)

your best friend in the whole entire world Annie who is going to practice some poses before taking her nap

I was only too happy to provide the ice cream parlor idea. I know that you can be persuasive and I believe that eventually your mom will come around. So let's look at her objections:

1. "Kids don't drive." Hey, no problem, your mom can take you back and forth from work. Parents do that for their kids all the time. I'm sure that she wouldn't mind as long as she believes that it will help you be a success in your new business.

2. "Lots of people don't want ice cream in the winter." Yes, but lots do. Beside, you could also serve gourmet coffee which is a delightful side drink with ice cream and will warm your customers from the inside out. Great winter drink and perfect with ice cream for summer for nearly everyone.

3. "Perhaps it would be better to rent the place first." Hmmm. Not a bad idea. That way you aren't stuck with it in the unlikely event that the business fails due to consumer incompetence. You can take that as an encouragement since she is suggesting that you rent it and therefore is suggesting that you can go into business.

4. "It takes a lot of money to start a restaurant." Well, this is a specialty shop more than a restaurant. Besides, I'm sure your dad and mom would be willing to lend you start up costs. You could pay back over time from profits. And since it's a family loan, perhaps they would lend you the money without interest. Just a suggestion.

5. "Yes, it needs to be clean. Yes, they will (probably) not take (reasonable) bribes." Well, no problem really. Just hire a few Chihuahuas to do your labor and all you will need to do is supervise. I suggest the lowest paid military personnel, the privates who may be hungry for extra pocket money to cover movies and gambling debts and the like.

6. "She does not want to do it." Ah well, I'm sure that with your powers of persuasion you can overcome her negativity. Just stay positive. Besides, I think she is coming around already. She sent me a letter thanking me for suggesting the ice cream parlor to you.

Tom, your friend who wishes you the very best in your business venture.

***********

Dear TQ,

You are quite welcome. You know that always have your kids best interests at heart just as I do my own child. You can count on me for additional suggestions whenever appropriate. Again, you need not thank me. This was no problem at all.

Tom, who is feeling so good after receiving TQs thanks.

************

Dear Annie,

Although I am sorely tempted by your offer of all the free ice cream that I can eat, I shall have to respectfully decline your generous offer to manage your store. I really can't be away from dad all that much. He counts on me for so much. And were I to commute daily, the cost in eagle food would, I fear, far exceed ice cream profits. Besides, I'd be up in the air over things far more than I'd be grounded doing my job. So again, thanks but no thanks.

Prince, who is going to try to talk my very busy dad into a trip to dog park.

Edited by: THOMAS.H at: 11/28/2016 (10:49)

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

what a brilliant idea!...an ice cream parlour!! there is an empty small restaurant at the bottom of the hill (about 2.5 mi from home) that is right on the mail road....it would be perrrrrfect! I have been asking mom to contact whoever owns it to find out about buying it.....mom pointed out that (1) kids don't drive (stupid law) and (2) lots of people do not want ice cream in the winter, (3) perhaps it would be better to rent the place first to see if it suits our needs....(4) it takes a lot of $$ to start up a restaurant of any sort and (5) it must be clean enough to pass all sorts of inspections......she knows the inspector so I am sure he will not bother us at all, although mom says he will be very strict and absolutely does not take bribes.....(pffft).....and finally (6) she does not want to do it......utter nonsense, I say....I am sure I can persuade her...I am naturally persuasive......mom sighed and suggested I come up with and test several more flavors before this goes any further.......my Maple Leaf Crunch was a big hit and the one everyone liked the most....Tropical Hula Punch is next.....then...what else? oh! I might wind up with a headache with all the creative thinking I must do....

Annie who is going to go lie down in her comfy bed in case she gets a headache

~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dear Tom

thanks a lot for Annie's latest idea TQ

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Prince

did you hear?!! your dad wants me to open an ice cream store!! you wanna be my general manager? (all the free ice cream you can eat----within reason)

Prince and Roscoe arrived home safely, Prince with that cool hat on. For a surprise treat, I took them directly to dog park. Prince proudly pranced about showing off his hat. Three lady dogs gathered together mid-park and immediately started talking among themselves. There was pointing at Prince by one of the girls and lots of giggling. Prince knew he was a hit with his hat and so he proudly pranced toward the ladies with the intention of striking up a conversation. I think he was hoping to hook up with one of them.

When he got near them the French Poodle stuck her nose in the air and turned and walked away. She went directly to her human and said something to him and he looked at Prince and shook his head back and forth. Prince decided not to pursue the poodle and the poodle remained aloof for the rest of our time there.

Next, the pointer walked away with head high in the air. She stationed herself beneath a tree with her back to Prince and looked straight up into the tree. She totally ignored poor Prince.

One pooch remained. She was a mixed variety. She smiled at Prince and then whispered, "You'll do a lot better here if you lose that silly looking hat." I swear Prince's face got red which, with the black fur appeared to be a sort of maroon. Anyway, he walked to me, pawed me his hat, and asked me to hold on to it for him. He then returned to the mixed variety pooch and said to her, "Thank you."

She smiled at him and touched his paw with her paw. "It's OK. My name is Pal. What's your name."

Well, after a few verbal exchanges, the two played together the rest of the time that we were there and Roscoe played with several of the dogs, joining Pal and Prince on occasion though never intrusively. On the way home Prince couldn't stop talking about Pal. Apparently she is down here for the winter, being a "snow bird" from somewhere in Vermont. She comes here every year with her human and they live right here in Lehigh Acres from early November through late April. Prince pretty much pleaded with me to go to dog park every day. It seems that she is there often around this time of day and Prince seems to want to come at about the same time for some reason. Ah well, whatever makes our dogs happy, right?

Tom, who is happy to have Prince and his bro / buddy Roscoe here.

**********

Dear Annie,

Why yes, Roscoe is here. Didn't he tell you he was planning a visit with us? He and Prince have already been to dog park together (my treat) and apparently have a lot of plans.

Well Annie, I wish you could have come but I do understand. I'm thinking that the ice cream you are eating will help- you with your anorexia, though it is not likely to help with those fatty...er, I mean, lumps. Maybe closer to showcase you will be able to drop by and watch Michaela and I in our dress rehearsal or something...just early enough to give us both some pointers. Still, if you can't make it for one reason or another, we will certainly understand.

It's good that your dad enjoys ice cream. From what Prince and Roscoe have told me, there was a lot left and yet it was only a small portion of the amount originally made. You and your mom should open an ice cream parlor serving exotic flavors. Just a suggestion that you could talk with your mom about. ha ha ha

Tom, who is about to do dishes so that we have something to eat from tonight. (grin) zzzzzzzzzzzz

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

is Roscoe there? I did not see him last night before I went to bed and I can't find him this morning.....when I ask any of the wawas they just shrug....that raccoon was here....maybe he went off with him....mom and dad are going to go see JellyBean in a couple of weeks...I have decided to stay home, but I suppose he might want to go *snort*

thanks, tom, for being agreeable and understanding about my staying home....its tough when one is feeling delicate......mom says she cannot feel or see any sign of what the vet said was a "fatty" tumor....she said she thought she saw it this morning, but then realized it was my elbow.....I guess she thought that was funny......being anorexic is harder than one thinks....you'd think she'd proffer a little sympathy!...(and biscuits)

my dad was driving the tractor which popped a small rock....it flew and hit dad's work car window and broke it into a zillion little pieces....dad just took mom's new vacuum outside to get up all the glass (I am not sure mom is happy about her new vac being used outside, but as long as he keeps it away from me, I don't care).....yesterday, mom had to drive dad to the airport to the car rental place and was half way home when he called and asked her to pick him up cuz he was not going to rent a car after all....mom said traffic in the city was horrible, especially near the malls.....she had to pull over somewhere to answer his call and said it was difficult....two cars just stopped right on the highway exit ramp...just stopped! I'd glad I was not there....I would have barked until they got moving again....

Annie who feels in deep need of a nap z-z-z-z-z

p.s. Prince, you should have stayed longer.....my dad is eating ice creams every night! I get some, too, of course.....

Sorry about your ice cream maker, but I don't do black Fridays. Your mom, on the other hand, shopped around for tops at various dress stores until she got totally frustrated with the massive crowds and came home. Then she was frustrated by the traffic. Yep, I just don't do black Fridays.

I've got to tell you Prince, you look like one cool dude in that hat. Yep, keep wearing that and you will have the girls all a flutter around you like bunches of butterflies. It should act like a magical magnet for the female of the species. Just choose your company and your actions carefully my boy. But then, we've had "the talk."

I hope you get this before you leave for home. If not, you should receive it in transit unless you are in an area of poor to no reception. Of course, your height (altitude) may either increase of decrease reception and transmission.

I told Bowser about the Bow-wow pie and Bowser got a belly laugh about it. I then told him that Annie feels she needs to hand him the recipe in person and that did it. It took a really long time for Bowser to get his laughter under control. Well, this paragraph we shall not share with Annie for obvious reasons. :)

Have a good trip Prince. And dress warmly for the high altitudes.

Dad, who will be partaking in a Bowser meal very shortly.

***********

Dear Annie,

While I appreciate you offer to help with the dance rehearsals, I really think your choice of staying home to take care of yourself makes the better sense. We'll be thinking about you.

Tom, who is going to enjoy Bowser's great pancake breakfast in about two minutes.

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

I followed your idea of suggesting to Annie that she send Bowser the recipe for bow-wow pie......she said it would be better if she showed it to him (they could make it together...hehehe...lucky Bowser) next time she is in FL.....she did not say when that would be AND TQ made apple pie with all the possible ice creams to go with it ala mode.....after Mr. Twinkie went to bed, TQ and me and Roscoe, and Annie sat around and finished it off....we all shared different ice creams.....I have to say it was pretty good.....if you could go to the store today and buy an ice cream maker I could keep you in ice cream once I get home...its Black Friday so you should be able to find a good deal somewhere....I suggested to TQ that if she goes to town she could pick up an ice cream maker for me, but she said she avoid shopping on Black Fri. and the entire weekend.....sheesh! some humans go nuts to barge into stores on BF and grab everything they can, while others cower at home...humans are so strange..... NOBody wore shorts here, but it was a nice day with temps in the 50s.....I did not need my winter clothes at all...in fact, I borrowed a hat that TQ was going to send to her grandson, but we all agreed I looked pretty jaunty in it, so I was told I could keep it Annie said I have a good face for hats,.....and she is a natural at recognizing good fashion

don't worry dad, when I mentioned inviting JellyBean to FL, I meant when Roscoe would be there, too....I would not try to steal his woman away (altho in my hat, I probably could...lol)... sorry I was not clear about that.....

I will be returning home tomorrow......just look for the good-looking dog wearing a hat hahahaha

Prince who can't wait to go to the dog park with his mom and dad

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

dear tom

Prince says he is returning home tomorrow.....roscoe plans to stay here....so! that would leave extra room in the gondola........if you need me to come there to help you with your dance rehearsals...last I heard Mikaela was skipping rehearals, and you know I can get her to snap into line.....(and we both know I am a naturally good dance instructor)....I assume you are doing your best to keep up on your end of the program

however, if you don't need me at this time, I will stay here and rest...I have bumps on my head and I need to practice intense meditation to shrink them....that idiot vet also said I have a fatty tumor on my side.....we all know that is not true since I am anorexic and not a fat corpuscle lingers anywhere on me....at a mere 80 lbs., I am lucky to be alive, and the stress of dealing with the lust of the brig commander is more than I want to deal with at this time....perhaps when it draws close to the dance performance and it is more critical to get everything down exactly right I can come and help you both get everything coordinated (I am a natural dancer)

Annie who needs a biscuit (for the calories) and a meditation time (to shrink bumps)

It sounds to me like you had a pretty terrific Thanksgiving. I hope that you thanked TQ for all that she did for you and the rest of the canines. As far as Jelly Bean coming to Florida, that would be fine. But before you invite her, considering that Roscoe has feeling for her, you might want to invite him as well and also check with him to see what his feeling might be about her coming to Florida. Remember, not only is Roscoe your brother-in-law, but he is also your bff. You guys have been pals for a very long time, and I certainly wouldn't want any misunderstandings to exist between the two of you. For instance, I wouldn't want Roscoe to think you were trying to steal Jelly Bean away for yourself. That could cause irreparable damage to your relationship with Roscoe. Just handle the whole thing very carefully and keep Ros in the loop as you do. At least, this is my advice to you my boy.

Another suggestion. How about having Annie send the recipe for bow wow pie to Bowser. I know you could just tell him, but this is just another way to make Annie feel good and reinforces the work you did to repair your relationship with her during the karaoke sing that you and Roscoe organized. Sending him the recipe will give her a sense of importance if I know Annie and she will wallow in it. :) Oh, and love you for it. Anyway, just a suggestion.

After a couple of cold days the weather warmed nicely today. When Joanie and I went to dog park I wore shorts and a T. Everyone there was dressed a little like that. In short, it was a lovely spring like day.

Dance rehearsal Tuesday did not go well. However, I felt very good about rehearsal Wednesday. We are still only about 1/2 way through my choreography, but because each element presents challenges, it is going to take a while to get it together. I'm thinking December to finish teaching the choreography and rehearsing to the point where we "get it." By that I mean feel the dance within the music. Then we can work in January on styling and polish. Hopefully we will be ready by February 4th showcase. Don't mention all of this to Annie. She'll want to come to Florida and help Michaela and I learn the dance. Speak of huge headaches, that would definitely be one. (snicker)

By the way, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving day meal. It consisted of a huge turkey (which we will be eating on for a month), green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, and stuffing. After stuffing ourselves with all of that, I had to put up with apple pie for dessert. Aren't you glad you didn't have to put up with the pie? (grin) Of course you would have demanded that the pie be pie ala mode. (grin)

Dad, who is going to go to bed and dream about dancing some of these extra calories off. Do you think it will help? :)

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

the big news here is that Roscoe has a girlfriend! Or he wants to have a girlfriend....he has the hots big time for JellyBean.....she does not seem to feel the same way.......she flirts...she likes the attention, but she does NOT seem ENAMORED with Roscoe....oh well, I am not going to say anything.....they see each other maybe once or twice a year and JB's dad mentioned that she has another boyfriend named Diddles in her neighbourhood.....(she lives about 2 hrs from here).....it was funny to watch, though.............JellyBean barked once which woke Annie up...whereupon Annie barked which scared JellyBean....she tucked her tail and went running to TQ...hehehehe......she and I got along pretty well.....she's a nice kid....maybe she should come to FL sometime...she would like the dog park

Mr. Twinkie was the one who took Annie to the vet and the vet was the one who said they would just "watch" the bumps for now......TQ is upset about it, and you can betcha that she will be keeping an eye on the bumps.....Annie was able to garner an extra biscuit by looking pitiful when she came home from the vet's..*snort*

dad, the Thanksgiving meal was terrific! JellyBean was not pleased at first that she was not allowed to get ON the dining table, but then she saw what was on the dog's table and felt much better.....we had lasagna, --tons of it--- .and we were allowed to eat as much as we wanted....THEN we had bow-wow pie, (dog biscuits covered in sweetened whip cream- one of Annie's inventions) and a choice of 7 (yes, 7!!! - which I helped make) ice creams.....man, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven! I think we should eat like this at home every day.........(yeah, yeah....I know what you will say, dad....but a guy can dream)

TQ likes to watch the Macy's parade, too....and I think she feels the same way you do about it.....she likes the balloons, but I heard her mutter something about how they don't need to put a pop singer on every single float in the parade....Mr. Twinkie could not figure out why the Hawaii float had an alternative pop band that was singing about nothing that had to do with Hawaii or Islands or even tropical....TQ was teary-eyed watching the Hawaiian dancers...

although there were wawas on duty today, shifts were shortened so that everyone could have a little free time and the mess tent kept a meal warm for everybody......annie made enough bow-wow pie for all the wawas to have 2 pieces which was pretty nice of her

Prince who is feeling pretty full, but might need an ice cream cone before bedtime

I'm sorry to hear about the bumps that Annie has. Since there is a question about them, why not suggest to TQ that she have the vet take a small biopsy of each lump and have it checked by the lab. If it is cancer, it needs to be removed. If it turns out to be fat (don't mention that to Annie) then she will have bought piece of mind. In other words, there will be benefit in knowing and if necessary doing something about it.

Well, your mom and I just got back from dog park. It just shows how much we miss you. We would have taken you had you been here but since you weren't we just pretended you were here. Meanwhile, I walked laps and got some exercise, and of course we petted some of the other dogs the way people do over there. It was a great time, but it would have been much better had you been with us.

I'm so glad that you have warm clothing. Be sure to thank TQ several times. She really took good care of you Prince. And it was so nice of her to complement you on your kitchen assistance. Perhaps you will be able to assist Bowser when you return home. I'm sure that he would love that.

It's good to know that the Chihuahuas have their holes dug and prepared for any unexpected shadow creature invasion. These days just about anything can happen anywhere. It's a dangerous world we live in, and the current leadership of dogdom doesn't seem interested in making it more safe. Well, perhaps better for the very wealthy, but not any safer or better for the average pooch. Just keep your guard up. You and Roscoe are certainly doing your part in training the militia and preparing for some of the most difficult times ahead.

Dad, who enjoyed watching the Thanksgiving parade this morning but is wondering why they don't just call it a commercial Christmas parade since that's what it is.

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

you would feel quite proud if you could see me....I have been helping TQ in the kitchen during my off-duty time and she says I am a "wonderful dog" (yep, those are her very words).....I spend my working hours teaching wawas how to prepare in case shadow creatures come here....today I taught them how to dig camouflage holes...the guys were quite surprised to learn they were different from just regular holes in the ground.... after we dug our holes and got in them, roscoe brought his team out===and they couldn't spot us!!! Roscoe's guys had spent their time in lectures learning about shadows critters, so after they couldn't see us, we popped up and then I took his guys and he took mine....

everybody here has been really nice, loaning me clothing to keep me warm....TQ went to buy deer corn yesterday and ran by the Canine Hunting store where she found a coat that fit me and some bigger socks and a knit hat to prevent my ears from freezing.....as the old saying goes, I am as snug as a Belgian basset in a her bed....hahahaha (bet you thought I was going to say "snug as a bug in a rug").....

speaking of Herself, the karaoke surprise went real well and relationships have been repaired.....this is especially good, becuz she had to go to the vet's this morning....she has 2 bumps on her head and one on her side.......the vet said the one on her side was probably just a fatty tumor which angered Annie becuz she considers herself anorexic, not fat....TQ is upset becuz that's what they told her Lulu had until the vet suddenly realized it was cancer....the bumps or cysts on A's head worry TQ because she had a dog once that had them...and again it was cancer.....Annie poo-poohs the whole thing, saying she feels fine....

Prince, who sees TQ making ice cream in the kitchen and is going to help/comfort her

I have shared your comments about Roscoe and Prince with the commander who passed it on to her troops. The pride expressed by those respected canines brought multiple tail waggles. It was a sight to be seen. All the Chihuahua troops gathered in the assembly area and when told about what Roscoe and Prince and said, all stood at attention except that their tails were uncontrollably wagging. Someone should have put flags on the end of their tails. (ha ha)

There have been no more shadow creature sightings since the previously reported incident but guards are posted 24 / 7 as a precautionary. One lower ranking officer suggested that we have Annie come down and serve with the military as an alarm howl. The idea is that a guard spotting a shadow creature would immediately contact Annie by cell and she would then give an alarm howl. However the brig commander pointed out that Annie would probably sleep through a crisis when a howl was needed but that she is prone to false howling. That sort of killed the idea much to the chagrin of the officer who had made the suggestion. You may wish to evaluate the use of Annie for that purpose at Camp TQ.

***************

Dear Prince,

I do hope that TQ can provide you with adequate clothing to stay warm in that chilly-cold place. In the meanwhile, perhaps it would be preferable to remain inside. Do they have a fire place, because if they do you could just hibernate there except of course during meal times.

Even when you have cloths and can go outside, you must be very careful. Snow can be terribly deceptive. You can get lost due to snow blindness if you wonder too far from the house. As you walk, stay tuned in to landmarks, and be sure you can recognize them going and coming (all angles of view). Also, don't walk on snow covered lakes as sometimes the ice is not thick enough to hold with weight on it. Prince, just be careful, please.

How did the karaoke party go for Annie yesterday? Wow! Did you stay warm enough to carry it off? How did Annie react. Oh Prince, I can't wait to hear all about it. Was Will-O able to pull off the surprise?

Well my special only-dog, it is getting cold here too. Of course, it's nothing like where you are, but we Floridians just aren't used to chilly weather and when it gets down to 55 degrees or less it's time for long johns and pea coats and the like. I just can't imagine what it must be like for you up there. Of course, you can always think about Canadian canines and imagine their circumstances. You may feel warm compared to them, though I suspect they and their humans remain inside most of the time. I know I would.

Dad, who is sipping hot coffee and thinking of his upcoming Bowser breakfast.

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

Roscoe and Prince were quite concerned about the shadow creatures and have sent high praises to all the wawas who exhibited military professionalism in properly dealing with the problem......obviously, the intense training in this area paid off.....the Commander here, however, is Quite Concerned and has asked Roscoe and Prince to stop everything else to teach her troops about this possible problem....Shadow Creatures have seldom made an appearance here...mostly its in your area...but that does not mean they could not expand their areas and our guys need to be prepared.....That's where the guys'....well, at least Roscoe's....focus will be today....Prince's main focus is keeping warm....hahaha

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Dad

*teeth chattering* it is so cold here...........so cold here, a dog's whiskers could freeze and snap right off......this is not my first winter weather here, but all my winter clothes seem to be missing....Annie said she thinks one of the larger (larger than a wawa, she means) canines that was here last winter "borrowed" them, but she is not sure and says he has not been around in awhile.....TQ said she will go into town to get me something, but dad, I need everything........nose guard, coast, fleece lined boots, personal thermos to carry hot water, etc. etc....one of the wawas is sharing his Ice-Off Whisker Protection spray with me, thank heavens......in the mornings, the water in the outdoor bowl is frozen and TQ has to carry out jugs of hot water to melt it.......I guess the shallow creeks are frozen, too, cuz after TQ filled the big water bowl under the willow tree one of the does came up and drank as though she hadn't had water in a month! later I saw another one try to sneak past Miss SassyPants to get to the water bowl......(boy, that fawn needs a nip on her tailside!) dad, I AM COLD!!

DAD, thanks for sending me the canine hokey-pokey.....what a great reminder! we were not able to do the karaoke for/with Annie last night......we absolutely must do it tonight.....Annie is pouting and refusing to have anything to do with us..............well, except once.....she called Roscoe over and asked her when he might have 5 mins. free in his schedule to pay attention to something she wanted to show him....(she was very snooty about it and would not even look him in the face).....he became a little irritated with her and told her 4pm....they agreed to meet then....when the time came, Annie wheeled over a wagon containing cow patties, threw six on the ground.....she said something and 3 wawas stepped out of the crowd that was gathering....Annie pretended not to be aware of any of it.....she blew her whistle and those 3 wawas executed the most beautiful disguise drop and roll.....even Roscoe was impressed....they had each piece of fur properly covered......then Annie blew her whistle again, and 3 more wawas stepped forward and did a different version...called Snout First Drop and Roll) of the same thing.....BUT each wawa was properly covered.... then Annie asked if the wawas had done a good job....Roscoe said yes....Annie replied stiffly that she is a naturally good teacher, even of military things...she looked at her wawas, told them "good job" and stomped off, leaving the rest of us kinda just standing there...we did not see her the rest of the day.....

this morning, even though Annie ignored me, I took my bowl of coffee and 2 pieces of buttered toast over and sat next to her bed....she continued to pretend I wasn't there, but I just kept talking and drinking and waving the toast under her nose (you should have seen those lips clench shut)....finally I got up to leave, and I swear, dad, that toast disappeared before I had taken 2 steps....but she still ignores me..........so, Ros and I decided to hold our karaoke party right after lunch......Will O' is going to play his role to get her to come over to his office to correct his papers.....and then...hopefully.....everything will go as scheduled....

Thank you dad for keeping me an only dog.......siblings are a pain in the tail!

I love love love your idea. I even have a suggestion for a song, or you could use it as follow up when Annie is on stage. Do you remember when you taught me the Canine Hokey Pokey. If I remember right it went like this... The Hokey Pokey Everybody form a circle

You put your left paw in You put your left paw out You put your left paw in And shake it all about You do the hokey pokey And turn yourself around That's what it's all about

Now put your right paw in (Same as first verse but using right paw)

You put your head in You put your head out Put your head in And shake it all about Do the hokey pokey And turn yourself around That's what it's all about

Let's do the hokey pokey! Let's do the hokey pokey! Let's do the hokey pokey! That's what it's all about

Put your right ear in Your right ear out Your right ear in And shake it all about You do the hokey pokey And you turn yourself around That's what it's all about

(Stop for a moment and everyone makes over Annie's fantastic ear movements)

Repeat for the left ear

(Again congratulate Annie for her super duper ear movements, because rest assured, after that first bit of congratulations these left ear movements will be highly exaggerated and probably pretty funny to watch.)

Now put your tongue in And your tongue out Your tongue in And blblblblbl! You do the hokey pokey Turn yourself around That's what it's all about

You put your back side in Put your back side out Put your back side in And you shake it all around Do the hokey pokey Turn yourself around That's what it's all about

(Wish I could be there to watch Annie do her back side. By this time she'll really be into it and will probably look like a Tahitian dancer.)

Let's do the hokey pokey Let's do the hokey pokey Let's do the hokey pokey That's what it's all about

Well Prince, that pretty much covers it. If you decide to do this, it should be fun to sing and to do and Annie will love all the complements over her lovely Bassett ears. She will probably even get some comments over her back side movements. What could be better?

By now she should be pretty mellow and if you and Roscoe would like, you could make a little speech that reaches out to her. It could include an apology or just be loaded with praise and how wonderful it is to be reunited with her sweet self. I think you get the idea and can take it from there.

Let your commander know. We have had another shadow creature incident. The creatures were obviously after Chihuahuas. Fortunately we are on full alert and our lookouts spotted these hard to see creatures in the brush, sounded the alarm, and everyone slipped into their foxholes and covered the hole with camouflaged prepared covers. No one was lost but this shows the urgency of being prepared. Your commander should immediately prepare her Chihuahuas for just such an emergency. Roscoe and Prince helped us plan for this occasion so they could help your commander as well.

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

you are right...I did rush in to see TQ and totally by-passed Annie...I mean, I did say "hi" but only in passing....you know it was not my intention to hurt her feelings....I guess I just was wrapped up with everything on my mind,....sigh....I will make it up to her.....she has been going around with big sad Belgian basset eyes...I think Roscoe did not pay her much attention either.........

later...........................

can you keep a secret? this is top Hush-Hush until tomorrow......Roscoe and I have come up with a plan to make annie feel better.....we are going to have karaoke night here tonight with the entire camp, but we are not announcing it until after dinner....you might not believe it, but some of these wawas, who would die before uttering a word about military stuff, have big, flapping lips when it comes to non-military information...what a bunch of gossips....anyway, we don't want annie to get wind of anything.......when I told Roscoe what you said, he felt kind of bad, too, so to start off the karaoke, he and I are going to sing a duet to Annie....one of the scribes, Will O' the Whippet is going to ask for her help with his notes right after dinner and you know how she feels about "helping" with camp records......as he leads her back to his office. (with a bribe of Reese's cups if she insists he bring his notes to her) , when they get about half way there, the lights will come on (we told her we were rigging up more outdoor lights for security and safety)....there will be a small stage and roscoe and I will come out to it singing......then, other wawas will gradually appear from surrounding trees and everyone will sing and dance and twirl her around until she eventually winds up on stage with us....what's that word humans use?? oh yeah, flashmob.......

TQ was not as thrilled as I thought she'd be when I told her about my plans.....but she said that she would turn up Mr. Twinkie's bedtime Buddhist music so he does not wake up.....she said she will put in her earplugs if the singing goes too late......she also suggested that if the howling gets real loud that we move our party away from the house......even TQ understands that a happy annie is much easier to live with than a mopey, sad one

Prince who still has to find the right song to sing with Roscoe ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

dear tom

you are probably right...punishing the boys never really does any good....I was going to give Roscoe a big surprise this afternoon of having 3 of the privates I have been working with show him how well they can do the drop and roll application of putting on disguises....well, at least they will do the cow patty disguise....I have been hunting for another dead possum or bear poop, but so far, no luck.....I suppose I could have them do the skunk disguise which is to run screaming as far away as possible, but who knows if they will think it is funny or if I am just wasting their time

Annie who is going back outside after she finishes lunchtime poses to hunt for another disguise

I am so sorry to hear that Prince ignored you. I'm glad he connected with your mom, but he should have spent time with you. I know that you care for him and have been looking forward to his arrival, and then to be egnored...well, it must have hurt badly. I will have a talk with my boy about it. I'm sure he was just preoccupied about something and that it was a total oversight. I suggest that you do not attempt to punish him because it could just push him away further. And you can be certain that I'll take care of the matter.

Wow! What an encounter with Mr. Stinkypants. I'm glad that you are OK after that harrowing experience. Be careful with that treacherous varmint Annie, he can raise a stink in no time flat. And by the way, we can never know if this is the true Mr. Stinkypants or if it is a chupacabra impostor practicing shape shifting. Always have a chihuahua guard test those critters before you get involved. I know that is against your nature, being so very brave and all, but in this case and with what is going on in the world, it is best to exercise caution.

Tom, who is feeling sorry for his poor put upon friend, Annie, the Belgian Bassett.

**********

Dear Prince,

Annie wrote and told me how bad she felt that you greeted her mom so warmly but overlooked her completely. I'm sure you were just preoccupied my boy. But Annie was quite hurt. It might be best if you were to apologize to her while explaining how your oversight was just that and certainly not intentional. So my boy, man up and make that apology for the sake of preserving your close relationship with her.

In the meantime, have a marvelous time with Roscoe and others as you prance around that nice large homestead.

Dad, who is missing his Prince already.

*****************

CNN CANINE, Gloria Vanderdog here.

There have been strange reports of shodow creatures and disappearing cows in the pasture on the other side of the canal from the Florida military HQ. This reporter is on location and has arranged an interview with one Buttercup Cow.

Gloria: I understand that you witnessed the disappearance of the cattle from this pasture. Tell me Buttercup, what happened.

Buttercup: Well madam, the cattle were in the barn feeding on grain and hey when suddenly they just disappeared. I looked up and they weren't there. Then I saw them floating in the sky in that direction (he pointed to the northwest) and with each cow was a deformed shadowy creature. It appeared as though each shadow creature was carrying one cow.

Gloria: Thank you Buttercup. So viewers, there you have it. Some sort of creatures swooped down and grabbed the cows from the pasture on the east side of the canal in front of Tom's house and the Florida military HQ. (Pardon me ma'am...but they were in the ba....NOT NOW Buttercup, I'm reporting). Pardon the interruption. By now we are certain that all of dogdom is looking for the missing cattle. We have an eye witness to the disappearance.

Gloria: Buttercup, have the canines questioned you yet?

Buttercup: Oh yes ma'am. I've had representatives of the Florida militia, the Virginia militia, the Canine FBI, and the Canine CIA. This has been a busy barn. I just hope that what I have shared with everyone will help bring the cattle back to me.

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

just a note to let you know (before I go howl at the moon or something), Prince and Roscoe arrived yesterday afternoon just at snack time...Prince and mom hugged one another and laughed and then Prince went into the kitchen with her....."private talk" Prince told me and there I was, just standing in the living room by my lonesome self.......it was so rude....I don't know what they were doing cuz they were whispering......Prince and mom were looking at a paper ...until Roscoe finally hollered that the 2 of them had to go to a brief meeting in the Commander's tent....Prince left, patting me on the head and calling me "chickie"...I never found that paper when I went in the kitchen afterwards.....to clean up any mess they may have made, of course........later, after dinner, Prince brought mom a small box which they looked in and then would look at that paper, back at the box, again at the paper, etc.....I was told to go shut Henrietta in her coop.....when I returned, both the box and paper were gone....the box is on a very high shelf in the laundry room, but the ladders have been moved......what happened to my sweet, well-mannered nephew? *sniffle*..... when I was at your house at Halloween, those 2 boys cheated me out of my rightful share of candy.....why? WHY?! why do I always have to be the disciplinarian? ...becuz they will pay ....for all of it...rudeness, bossiness, not sharing, etc....

Besides all of that, we had an intruder last night in the form of Mr. Stinkypants....I am surprised he would venture out in the cold and the wind last night....I knew he was there and went charging to the doggie door.....but then the evil creature blew a large plastic bottle at me, and I jumped back inside the house to safety....mom came out to see what was the matter and when she opened the door she could smell that darned skunk!....but then she saw the empty water container which had blown in front of the doggie door and laughed and laughed.....she told me the wind blew it there, but I knew better.....

Annie who had a rough night and must catch up on her beauty sleep ***************************************************

dear dad

just a note to let you know Roscoe and I arrived safely in VA....the transporter eagle had a rough time of it, I think....at times the winds were fierce and it was so cold......I wanted to turn around and come home, but Roscoe said the eagle was too tired to do an immediate turn-around, so while the eagle scarfed down hamburger, Ros and I went into his house where we warmed up.....TQ is always happy to see me, so we sorta hugged and jumped around.....later, while Mr. Twinkie was hollering at a football game, Ros and I went to meet with the Commander about a new influx of disguised chupes in the area.....

Annie is quite excited about showing Roscoe some special surprise...I wonder what that will be......she has been a bit pouty and still complaining about how he and I "cheated" her of Halloween candy, etc....you know annie...

Prince who is rushing off to talk to the troops about some...well..."need to know" stuff..hahaha

Sorry for the delay. Weather conditions resulted in icing of the eagles feathers and we had to make an emergency stop in Charlotte, NC for de-icing. We are on our way now and should arrive around 1 or 2 PM if all goes well. Be sure to thaw the eagle's payment.

This is of great concern. Prince and I convinced our eagle to drop by the barn in order to say our goodbyes to Kathy Cow. She wasn't there. No one was there except for one very young calf who was cowering in the corner. Prince spoke to him softly to gain his confidence. He was obviously extremely frightened.

After a while the calf was able to talk with us. Two days prior to this meeting with the calf, Kathy and her sisters were happily eating grain and hey in the barn. Suddenly they weren't there. The calf could see the flying through the air in a northward direction (he pointed to indicate the direction they were flying). Accompanying each one was a shadowy figure, its shape fairly difficult to make out and all someone different in their various distortions. He could say no more other than that he was hungry. We briefly barked at the farmer and as he chased us led him to the barn before hopping back on the gondola and heading for Virginia. We could tell that the farmer was quite dismayed but was able to feed the poor calf.

This eerie business is of great concern to us all, especially considering the disappearing deer. Motto, the cow business is a Florida matter with ramifications for all of dogdom. Please alert all commanders everywhere, but maintain top secret status. Roscoe and I will call a meeting of commanders as soon as we are able. What dastardly deed may have befallen these poor cattle and deer one can scarcely dare to imagine. We must pursue this matter with utmost urgency.

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

your sister, Annie, complained last night to the house guard about outside noises keeping her awake....normally, this is not stuff that is paid much attention to, considering the source especially.....owls were hooting, the Gonzalez cows were practicing Xmas carols for an upcoming cattle show, , etc. etc....including a deer snorting in the dark.....the alarm went out when it was discovered that there were no deer to be found....several of the wawas on night duty at or near the house heard it.....a daylight examination of the area did find deer hoof prints....on backwards.....a disguised chupe (1 or more) is suspected.....

pls. remind your eagle courier of possible wind surges in the area....the temperatures here dropped 10 degrees this afternoon, winds picked up, and everyone has broken out their winter duds......raw hamburger will be held in the house until the sound of eagle wings is heard to prevent it from freezing on the roof

see you soon!

p.s. your sister has a secret project going on with a few of the younger privates....she says it is a surprise for you....be prepared

I'll leave the cooking to you. The hat is ridiculous and was sent to you yesterday by EGGmail. I'll be home with Prince late afternoon tomorrow. You know as well as I do that eagle services does not post definite times and even approximate times are subject to change depending upon weather conditions. So tomorrow afternoon is the best that I can do.

Joanie and Tom cleaned house all morning and now Joanie is starting her village. It's a LOT smaller this year, but next year she will go big again...she says. Prince was complaining that he will miss dog park when we come to Virginia, but I reminded him that our whole property is bigger than dog park and that we don't have fences nor do we need to wear leashes every time we go out. Prince said something like "Oh yeah, that's right. Boy are we gonna have fun." I did remind him that first we do have some duties to attend to concerning the military. That he remembered and is looking forward to. He thinks the Florida military is getting kind of lax due to inactivity and lack of threats. He just hopes they remain somewhat on alert, the chupacabra being what they are and all.

Bowser will not be coming nor will Baby Cakes. Both plan a short vacation at their own home after we leave. I guess Tom and Joanie will have to be responsible for their own stuff. Glad he was here while I was here.

Jack thought about coming with us, but then he decided not to. I'm pretty sure it had to do with the look his dad gave him when he talked about it. He is also involved in some research he doesn't want to leave or move. Surprise surprise.

I was going to say good bye to Kathy Cow, but I haven't seen her for quite a while. I do hope that she is OK. Maybe Prince and I will stop by the barn before coming home.

Roscoe, who is wondering how Kathy Cow is.

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

I sent you that hat for a reason---put it on! you are delirious!............and leave the cooking to Bowser and me! my chips of chocolate in the Maple Leaf Crunch with will be bits of chocolate cookie...you know like the outside part of an oreo...they freeze very well and will do well in an ice cream...I have used them before....when mom went to town yesterday I gave her a list for the Maple Leaf Crunch ingredients and she bought all of them except the chocolate cookies.....she said the store was "out"...do I believe that? possibly she ate them all on the way home.....maybe....I admit that would be a lot to eat all at one time....we have a little bit here, but maybe she can go out today and find some...she is, after all, going out to run an errand of some sort for Joanie, so she might as well run one for me, too.......anyway, you idea of spaghetti noodles in ice cream is ridiculous! obviously, you are not a natural chef......

uh-oh.....your surprise is knocking at the door......do you know what time you expect to be home tomorrow?

Annie who has so much to do, but feels in need of a nap...the "outdoor" animals were very noisy last night....first an owl was hootie-hooing, then some of the Gonzalez cows were singing, followed by other noisy creatures....it kept me awake

When you say you're going to use chocolate chips in yours, I assume you mean the maple crunch. First, chocolate chips aren't all that crunchy, but they do melt in your mouth. I still like the banana chip bits. They won't change the flavor much but will add much more texture and crunch to munch. Oh well, its you're ice cream creation!

Instead of risking copyright laws, etc., you could make an Hawaiian punch ice cream and call it Hawaiian medley. I suppose it will be a sort of dark magenta in color. Let's see, pineapple of course, cocoanut, passion fruit, mango blend of flavors and served topped with whipped cream and a Plumeria blossom lei-ing on top of each serving. I recommend one of the more fragrant of the Plumerias. Ah well, your ice cream project of course. Just thinking about the tasty result.

I suppose that your Hula banoola ice cream will be covered in cooked spaghetti (like hot fudge) but representative of a grass skirt. You could top that with hot caramel. Just don't forget to use the banana chips in that one.

By the way, Tom said he got a message from you offering to assist him with his dance lessons. I don't think he took it too seriously though. He was laughing while he told Joanie, Prince and me about it. In fact, he laughed so hard that he was rolling all over the floor. He couldn't stop. When he did finally stop laughing, he complained of having aching sides. I guess his laughing muscles aren't use to that much laughter and he strained them. I do hope that doesn't set him back further on his rehearsals.

Tom is going to go dancing tonight. Unfortunately Michaela won't be there, but there will be a lot of other ladies there to dance with. Unfortunately, Joanie won't be able to go either. Wow! No Joanie; no Michaela. Poor Tom. Oh well, Prince and I will be with him to cheer him if he gets bored. We love going, especially on Friday when they feed us. After we eat (and Prince and I eat very quickly) we walk around from table to table and everyone feeds us, and I mean everyone...well, except for Tom who says he's concerned about our weight but I think he's just a little stingy when it comes to parting with his Rhythm in Motion food.

Roscoe, who is going to help Tom organize stuff to take to the dance tonight.

Edited by: THOMAS.H at: 11/18/2016 (15:29)

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

I am not using banana bits in my Maple Leaf Crunch ice cream, although it might be good in another one...you have got my creativity whirling and I am think of a new ice cream flavor called "do you want a nice Hawaiian punch?" mom said I might get into copyright issues, so perhaps I can come with a tropical island-y sort of name...Hula Banoola? Tropic Breeze Crunch? ...the banana would be great in that....I am going to use chocolate bits in mine....rest assured, it will be delicious

if Tom is going to laze around and skip rehearsals (he COULD schedule his dr. appts on another day!!) and Mikaela is going to do the same, why don't they just forget the dance and go enjoy an ice cream cone at Dairy Queen?!! I can only do so much! I was counting on Tom to know his stuff....Mikaela is difficult enough to teach! am I supposed to teach Tom, too?! and make ice cream?! and design ball gowns?!! and...and....well, I can't tell you the last one cuz it is a surprise for you.....you will be Very Impressed when you get home....*beaming with pride*

Mom forgot to put away the sunflower seeds last night, but your raccoon friend did not come over...maybe he got the message....*growling low and ferociously*

Sorry Sis, I just couldn't resist. (snicker) The hat arrived this morning. Granted it will block the sun...from my whole body. Really Annie, you've got to be kidding. It's a truly hideous design. I can picture it on the giant from Jack in the Bean Stock, but I think that's about the size of it. Perhaps you could cut a head hole in the top and use it as a dress. I'll bring it home with me. Better yet, I'll ship it EGGmail.

I think you are wise to limit your suggestion for ice cream to one type. You want maple leaf crunch. I'd suggest maple sugar for flavoring and dried banana chips for the crunch. Just an idea. You may want to develop some modifications since it is, after all, your idea.

As for lap sitting at the table, it's OK. Prince and I can just sit in a chair. Mom will have to just set a couple of extra places. I know that the chair won't be as warm and fuzzy as a lap, but we are a couple of seasoned warriors and will be quite alright with that. Just make sure mom piles on the food when she comes to our plates.

Tom called Michaela to tell her to expect your calls at 2 AM or so in the morning. Seems Michaela sets her phones to "do not disturb" each night when she goes to bed and doesn't turn them back on until she gets up. But don't worry sister, you can leave a message and it will be the first message that she gets when she wakes up. Wonderful idea that you had Annie. Probably pretty appropriate too since Michaela cancelled the 2nd rehearsal this week and next week is looking a little iffy since Tom has a doctor appointment on Tuesday which interferes with rehearsal time and then there are the holidays. Well, frankly I hope they are able to get this thing together before the performance first week in February. Oh, come to think of it, it shouldn't be too difficult. The performance isn't until next year. Oh yes, and because rehearsal was cancelled I don't have the video you requested.

Yesterday Tom took Prince and I to dog park. Such fun! We were the only big dogs there except for one old lady who just laid around doing poses. Prince and I played in the green. Tom walked laps around the park's perimeter and Prince and I ran to him and then played and then rejoined Tom and then played. Well, we had a wonderful time. And we really slept well when we got home.

Roscoe, who is now going to badger Bowser about lunch. IT'S TIME!

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

dear Roscoe you have obviously been out in the Florida sun too long....what are you babbling about? Universes? pah! I look down and my (lovely) paws are on the same ground as everyone elses.....EGGMail Xpress will be delivering to you a hat that you should wear when you are outside....I did not make it, but I decorated it myself.....you WILL appreciate it....and since it did cost mom's charge card a pretty penny to send it Xpress you should make sure you wear it anytime you are outside....

speaking of mom, you are probably correct about her being sensitive to my adding recipes to her list of ice creams....however, I really, really want to make the Maple Leaf Crunch if I can come up with the proper "crunch" item.....so, if I add only one little recipe to her list and promise to make it myself, she can't be too upset.....right now she is debating between making her own bread for the Thanksgiving meal, or going the easy route and buying a nice baguette.....maybe I should volunteer to take it off hands....I have never made bread, but I bet I would do a great job......

I have not found out any further info on our trip to the spa that I overheard mom talking about...I came right out and asked her, and she reminded me that JellyBean will be here so everyone will have to be here.....She did tell #1Son that JB was not to be allowed to put her nose up on the table while we are eating....I think that is only fair since the rest of us are not allowed up on laps during mealtime.....in fact, she told #1Son that if JB was allowed to jump into his wife's lap then he would have to put me in his......don't know whose laps you and Prince will sit in...*snicker*

I remind you AGAIN to send me a video of the dance rehearsals so I can help Mikaela by correcting her mistakes.....I am thinking that perhaps I should call her daily to remind her to practice....since I don't know her schedule, what do you think would be a good time? I am thinking that 5:30AM is perfect.....except, I am not up at that hour of the morning....hmmm...never mind...I am often up around 2am....I will call her then.....every day....hehehe.....this is a good way to help Tom cuz I don't want her to make him look bad on the dance floor

I was just lying here contemplating...and what universe does Annie live in? But then it hit me, she owns a universe. That's it; that's got to be it. She is in her very own universe. I do hope the dress designs for Michaela come out beautifully done, though I'm certain they will. And you will show me just how lovely they are... I can hear you now: "These dresses ARE LOVELY, right Roscoe...ROSCOE...RIGHT!" And of course my reply, "Uh, why yes Annie...just lovely." (cough)

If you and mom want to move to Florida, please go ahead. Mom thinks the mosquitoes here are humongous, but you can tell her that the mosquitoes here are actually small, well, especially the zika mosquitoes. But it's not likely that she will contract the zika virus. All she has to do is wear her deet (as in repellant) when she goes out.

Wow! I can't wait to eat some of that ice cream. Ha ha...Prince is climbing all over me trying to get a better read on the various types of ice cream. Oh, by the way Annie, perhaps you should leave the flavors up to mom. She does pretty well with that and we wouldn't want her to think you are trying to upstage her on her project. You know how sensitive she is.

Today Prince and I are going to Tom's rehearsal. We went yesterday too and he and Michaela danced up a storm. They would dance a little. Tom would teach a bit more and they would work on it. They danced the same stuff over and over and Tom says they are still behind in the teaching of the choreography but what they have worked on is starting to look half way decent. Of course showcase isn't until February 4th so perhaps they will manage to get it all together by then. I do know Tom is concerned that the holidays will slow them down some.

See you soon sis, The Ros

LATER:

Well, now those two are even more behind in time. Seems Michaela had to cancel the Wednesday apt. I do hope they get that routine ready in time.,

Edited by: THOMAS.H at: 11/16/2016 (09:56)

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

Mikaela is not going to admit to you that she called me....she is ashamed becuz I rejected her offer........if you must know, she asked if I could design an entire season of dance gowns because she adores what I have already done for her....she also wanted me to actually pick the fabrics and accessories and sew them for her....this would require several trips to FL, and when I explained about the Brig Commander and how he is so enamoured with me, she said I could stay with her........I had to explain that I did the design as a favor to Tom, that I made up several different design ideas, and Tom picked the one he wanted and threw the rest away....then I explained that I am far to busy to become her personal gown designer....she sobbed in anguish.....I didn't want to further upset her by explaining that my loyalties belong to Joanie....finally, just becuz I felt sorry for her, I did offer to help her with her dance moves....if she sends me a video of her practice session I will critique it for her...but only 1 time.....Roscoe, she begged me.....I suppose I could move to FL and become a personal dance instructor and dance clothing designer...if I permanently moved in with Tom and Joanie I suppose the Brig Commander would just have to learn to cope and get over himself.....nyah, I couldn't leave mom....she refuses to move to FL due to mosquitoes

speaking of mom, Prince has done a wonderful thing for all of us....his love of ice cream has mom cranking out the stuff like crazy.....she made chocolate this morning.....now she is going to have to buy more freezer bowls before she makes any more...in the meantime I am trying "look outside the box" and come up with more unusual flavors....you know how I am naturally creative, but I want to make recipes that are simple, using items around the house, as well as tasty.....I have bombarded mom with so many ideas she has told me to make a list....some of my ideas are Sunshine Sunflower which would use sunflower seeds that we have in abundance.....(mom did not like the idea of having to open so many sunflower seeds, but I have assured her it will be worth it), Wild Persimmon Delight, Maple Leaf Crunch....and in case we have any patients in the Infirmary, Cherry Grass Tummy Lover....and the list goes onnnnnn

First let me compliment you on declining to lead the hike. That was a wise choice. The thing with accepting those sort of requests is that very soon you will be asked to join the military. Now they can make it sound pretty cool when they talk to you about it, but trust me sister, after you join you will be made a private (once you get through initial and very unpleasant training) and then you will be the taker of orders. I mean pretty much everyone in the world will be able to give you orders because you are nothing but a private. Oh yes, and by the way, a private actually has virtually no privacy. He is paraded in front of everyone for all sorts of criticism and additional orders. You WOULD NOT LIKE it Annie. So good on you for making a very wise decision and not letting yourself be talked into anything military while you are non military and can actually make those decisions.

I need to make one correction in your thinking. That raccoon is NOT my friend. He is a necessary evil when it comes to espionage. I don't like working with those beasts because they are natural thieves, but sometime one has to do the unpleasant right on down to the despicable in order to gather information. Think about it somewhat like surviving for four years under the Trumpet. Nasty business but no choice in the matter. Still, we can look ahead and plan for a better outcome next time around.

By the way, I don't think the raccoon at the feeder is the one who provided needed information. I'm pretty sure that that specific raccoon is the one that the Trumpet decided to appoint as his top aide. He is not liked at all by the followers of Lassie. He isn't even liked all that much by some members of the Trumpet party. He is, however, liked by most of the chupacapra and perhaps they consider his appointment a reward for his service to the head Trumpet. Little do they know that he has performed services for our militia. That would definitely be a deal breaker between him and the Trumpet. heh heh

By the way, I asked Michaela about her consult with you regarding the dress, and she denies having consulted with you at all. Perhaps you spoke with another Michaela and thought you were speaking to the Michaela that Tom dances with. There is a Mikala at the studio who happens to be a nursing student. Perhaps she had contacted you about cherry grass and you thought it was Tom's partner and started talking dresses. Mikala the nurse does like dresses and dances quite well. When I see Mikala I'll ask her about your consult. That may be interesting.

Roscoe, who is actually looking forward to seeing Jelly Bean.

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

you came to the right canine for help.....the reason Mikaela missed rehearsal was because she was consulting with me about her dress...ah, that woman needs my help sooo much! if you could provide video when you go to their next rehearsal, I could critique it and give her some pointers since I am naturally so light on my feet when it comes to dancing....if you want Tom to speed things up, place a little piece of gravel in the heel of his dance shoe...it will keep him on his tippytoes....if you want him to speed up what they need to learn in rehearsals, perhaps someone could persuade him to cut out a couple of dips and twirls....he can be stubborn when it comes to dancing, so good luck with that......

I thought I overheard mom talking on the phone to someone about sending us to the spa...I was in deep pose meditation so by the time that news sank in and brought me to alertness she had changes topics.....I did not catch the date of when this is supposed to happen...I know its not soon since jellybean is coming here....surely she would not send us off when guest canines will be here....and she is aware Prince is coming....in fact, she is making ice cream as quick as she can...vanilla last night, pralines today and maybe chocolate if she can freeze the ice cream maker container fast enough.........and I saw frozen blueberries and strawberries in the freezer which mom said were for 2 other ice creams.....boy, she is going all out to please Prince.....pfft! I am not even getting to taste test, which is outrageous, since we all know I am a natural at that sort of thing.....

mom has been taking in the sunflower seed feeder at night in hopes of discouraging your raccoon friend.....I think she is afraid I will tear him limb from limb if I catch him......

Annie who was asked to lead a group of privates on a 20 mi. hike, but remembered her bossy big brother telling her to stay out of military matters, and so she politely declined....

We are pleased that Prince will have an opportunity to enjoy western Virginia again with Roscoe. Of course it has been our pleasure to have Roscoe here.

We do ask that you help Prince maintain his sleek boyish figure. Frankly, the last time he was there he seemed to have gained a bit of weight and it was something of an effort to get him back to his normal sleekness. In fact, he isn't quite there yet and according to our calculations and the rations we have put him on, he should have just now reached that sleek weight. It is almost like he has had munchies on the side or something, but I don't think so. I've spoken to all the neighbors and they have agreed not to feed him.

For a while, I thought maybe it was Halloween candy, but the boys insist that they did not get any treats when they went out and were forced to resort to tricks. I'm a bit surprised at the selfishness of everyone not to give them at least a dog biscuit or two when they pawed the doors on Halloween night. Annie apparently got something but it didn't seem to settle well for some reason. Anyway, long story short, just watch his weight please. And enjoy our boy as I know he will enjoy his visit with you and your four legged children.

Tom, who is about to see what those boys are up to now. I am hearing something going on outside.

***********

Dear Annie,

Well, it's been a rough morning. I taught a bunch of Florida recruits the art of camouflage and they did quite well. I'll admit they weren't the quietest bunch, but they came through none the less. That is until Tom came outside and sent us marching through Jack's canine washing machine. Oh how embarrassing is that? The recruits were quite embarrassed but I told them just to remember the ways of camouflage and when they go into battle, just take a moment to apply the appropriate camouflage for the situation. They ran off to HQ, there little Chihuahua tails and behinds waggling excitedly about learning a new skill.

Prince and I are really looking forward to our arrival in Virginia Sunday. It will be good to see you sister. Prince says he is looking forward to seeing you too. Of course, there will be military business to attend to when we first get there, but we should be free well before the good old J. Bean shows up. I suspect that we will all get a lot of exercise after JB arrives.

Tom missed his dance rehearsals last week because Michaela had to cancel unexpectedly. Therefore they are doubling up this week. I think I'll plan on going to at least one of them just to see how Tom is coming with the dance and of course how Michaela is coming as well. She may be the pro but Tom did the choreography and now has the chore of teaching it to her. So far he says he has taught about 1/3 of the choreography. He feels they are WAY behind schedule and will need to really reach to be ready by the first week in February.

Roscoe, who is going to try to figure out a teaching method which might help Tom to step it up.

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

I am EXHAUSTED! a police officer called here several times while I was attempting to do my poses...after he quite calling a pesky game warden called here several times...to make a long, boring story short, it was not a hunter that left the truck, but rather a 17 yr old boy who lives in the far end of the county, but whose girlfriend is a local girl....they were on our road with the intention of driving over to the mcmansion property to make wild whoopee.....apparently, although still in high school, neither teenager ever learned to read and therefore drove right past the No Trespassing signs...anyway, I don't want to deal with the educational system in the rural South.......their truck broke down which is why it was parked on our road all day.....mom did speak to the boy while he was repairing whatever was broken on his truck, and asked him not to use either the mcmansion or our property as whoopee central headquarters.....mom did suggest several other possible places, including the college.......Sgt. LongWhiskers rode in the car with mom both for her protection and to look ferocious, which apparently worked...the boy was embarrassed and promised never to come here again.

Roscoe, please pass on a message to Prince from mom...she said she has started making the ice cream...Vanilla to start and more every day....she knew Prince would want to know...please do not tell him unless you are sure Joanie and Tom are not nearby

I am not questioning your teaching ability. It's just that this particular business, the drop and roll technique, requires special teaching techniques that can only be learned from experts such as those who teach canine military teaching at UNC Canine. I've had that training. I have yet to find a single recruit who hasn't been able to quickly learn it when I work with them using my teaching techniques to teach the drop and roll camouflage technique. Then too, one camouflages for different situations which require drop and roll, once learned in basic, to be performed with nuances to fit the situation. It's all very complicated. Perhaps sometime I'll teach you if you are exceptionally nice to me.

Now then Annie, I am so glad that you were there to help mom when she went berserk...er, got upset with the hunter. Yes, it falls upon your shoulders, but dear sister, you have such broad shoulders that I'm sure you can shoulder the weight of that weighty situation. I'm so proud of you my sweet pudgy Belgian Bassett sister.

You can tell mom I'll be home next weekend sometime. That will give me time to rest up before Jelly Bean shows up. I think a rest before that happens will be good. Also, I can teach the new recruits the camouflage techniques need for various situations.

Roscoe, who went out to eat at the Texas Road House with Tom, Joanie, and Prince. Oh the steak was soooo good.

*************

Dear TQ,

You have my mouth watering again. I'm glad that you see it my way and will not be saying anything to dad about all that ice cream. I'll be coming next Sunday with Roscoe. We have already reserved eagle transportation and should be arriving late that evening. Mom and dad are OK with it and plan to have a separate celebration early here. That will probably be Saturday. I can just smell all that good turkey, cranberry - orange sauce, green bean casserole, pecan pie...hmmm, maybe alamode. (licking chops) Oh how I love this time of year.

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

I did NOT volunteer to teach the disguise class in your absence...I was ASKED to do so, nay...BEGGED to do so......I demonstrated the proper way to do the drop and roll to allow the correct and necessary amount of disguise of adhere to one's fur.....the fact that your little space cadet wawas can't grasp such a simple maneuver is NOT my fault.....you tell THEM not to bother me with such nonsense....I don't recall any of their names, but Captain WetNose (you know, the one with the long scar that runs from under his ear to his nose) was the one who worked with me to help these little idiots....er, students, so IF I see him again I will tell him that any future requests will have to wait until you return or otherwise you might slap our paws *snort*.....I suspect I was asked to teach in YOUR absence because everyone knows what a natural teacher I am, not something that can be said about everyone *double snort*

mom is Highly Displeased this morning....it is, as you know, Sunday, the morning wherein mom goes to buy a newspaper and bring us a DQ sausage biscuit.....what she told me is that on her way down our road there was a stranger red truck parked on the side of OUR road and the hunting dog box in the bed of the truck was opened.....she suspects some fool is hunting on our property and she hollered for the truck owner to leave becuz no hunting is allowed....in fact, the truck driver parked right next to a "NO HUNTING/NO TRESSPASSING" sign that our dad nailed up.....there was no response and when mom returned home she hollered again for the truck owner, but since there was no reply she called it in to the police station as a possible stolen truck or illegal hunter....an officer just called to say the truck has not been reported stolen, but he is coming by to take a look at it...he asked if mom wanted to press charges for trespassing, but mom said that could get ugly and she preferred if he could just use his steely-eyed, scary cop glare and scare the hunter/s into not coming back here again.....mom is afraid the hunter is after her deer and this is what upsets her so much.....mom is also concerned that some of the brown dogs here could be glimpsed by the hunter and mistakenly shot...........if this happens, Ros, you know mom will not need to press trespassing charges cuz she will kill him with her bare hands and we will be roped into digging a hole in which to bury him.....you know how mom is when she is mightily upset.....Pop is out of town, you are out of town, so once again, the responsibility for mom falls on my shoulders.....I think I am going to try to persuade her to make some bread to work out her stress, but until she sees her deer and can do a head count for everyone she is not going to relax....................on top of which, I threw up again last night at 3am which she not claims is the fault of her being tired and grumpy this morning.....(as if!)

Annie who is feeling entirely too put upon and must see if she can scrounge up a biscuit or two before doing poses

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

dear Prince

lots of ice cream and sorbets.......noooooo problem!!! it will be fun....and, of course, I will not bother your parents with the menu....I expect your mom is still dealing with voter stuff and your dad has an important dance to choreograph....no need to add to their concerns, although Thanksgiving dinner will be very healthy + ice cream

TQ who looks forward to the arrival of her FL friend ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks for consulting me on the ice cream matter. Oh, and I do love your idea. I think it would be good to have a different ice cream or sorbet each time. (Thinking to myself, she will have to make a lot more ice cream and that will be in the freezer...yum!) I'm looking forward to Annie's cookies too.

Oh, by the way. I don't think we need to tell dad or mom about the ice cream thing. I mean, they have lot's on their plates in the way of thought provoking data and this would just add to their burden. (I try to think of what is best for them whenever I can!)

Prince, whose mouth is watering thinking about that wonderful Thanksgiving meal his friend TQ has planned.

************

Dear Annie,

I do not want you to teach a camouflage class now or ever. This class cannot be taken lightly. There is special technique to the drop and roll that few understand and a special manner in which it is taught for success. You are not part of the military, nor should you be. You are an excellent nurse (cough...excuse me...it's my dry throat) and you should stick with that. But above all, never, never, ever teach drop and roll camouflage! Those Chihuahua privates can and must wait until I return. I shall now have to debrief them from the faulty teaching (though your intensions were quite admirable) and re-teach proper drop and roll. As difficult as it was to get them to drop and roll, my guess is that they had an inner feeling that something just wasn't right. Do you understand sister? No more trying to substitute teach for the camouflage master!

I guess mom got the problem well washed up though. Good ol' mom to the rescue!

Roscoe, who is delighted that mom cleaned up the mess.

CNN CANINE Gloria Vanderdog reporting

Rooftop funeral services were held for Wally Possum. Several aunts and uncles were among the mourners along with a few from the vulture family. Though short, it was agreed by all that the service was solid and had good bones.

Wally is survived by Sally Rolly Possum and eight baby possums. Sally has applied for a woods assistance grant to help her during the growing period of her dear babies. Meanwhile CNN Canine is collecting contributions for the Possum family to help during the period between assistance application and assistance eligibility certification.

Gloria Vanderdog now returning you to CNN Canine Atlanta for in depth analysis of the death of Wally Possum.

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

I have done some research on meals served at the highest restaurants as well as in royal palaces, etc....between courses of regular food are served small dishes of ice cream or sorbet (another form of ice cream)--to cleanse the palate---and I thought we could do this at our house this year...should I use a different ice cream/sorbet or the same one each time between servings of regular food? tell me which you would prefer.....since I am making large quantities of ice creams/sorbets there will be plenty to snack on AFTER dessert, too.....annie will be making special cookies for both the mess tent meal as well as ours, ...in fact, at the moment I can see her across the room on her bed, deep into her poses, thinking about what cookie she will create......

TQ who is looking forward to seeing her good buddy, Prince

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ later in the day,......

dear Roscoe

am I an official member of the militia? am I an official teacher in your militia group? someone banged on the door a couple of days ago, asking for you, all excited, saying a perfect opportunity had "shown up" for you to teach your disguises class......"a cow? here?", I asked...the wawa explained it was something else, but since they had heard there was a fine art to applying disguises, they needed you to explain it.....he knew you were away, but word around camp is that you will be returning soon (mom apparently was overheard saying something about it to a deer and from there it spread, so everything thinks your return is imminent).......disappointed that you were not back yet, he begged me to come teach the class even though I pointed out that I don't usually do disguises because I like my natural beauty to show.......the little Private continued to whine, so I agreed to walk over and explain things........dear brother, there were about a dozen brand new Privates standing around a dead possum....not a freshly dead one....the corpse was about half dried up.....Pop was over in the garden doing his thing, ignoring us, and nobody was around but the guards, so I gave a brief lecture on what to do when one NEEDED to wear a disguise.....Ros, where did you get these babies?!! I explained that sometimes one only needs a facial disguise and sometimes one needs a full body disguise....I tried to explain how to drop and roll, but these couldn't drop and roll if their fur was on fire......sheesh! I grabbed a nearby guard and had him show the proper technique.....the newbies tried, but the results were pitiful....they'd have one side of their face done, but could not figure out how to do both sides in one drop......finally, I gave a demonstration since I am naturally good at teaching.....just then Pop looked up from his hoe and saw me.....he started yelling and came running......he grabbed that dead possum and threw it up on the roof of the chicken house so it could finish drying up/rotting in peace....when mom came home she announced that she had made reservations for a spa day for me next week, but then Pop came over and told her about my teaching the class.....mom frowned and said to forget the day at the spa, it was gonna be bath time here....she went into the house, got that nasty shampoo that she uses on us, grabbed the leash, turned on the hose, and with that wintery cold hose water scrubbed me.....she had ordered the others to line up, but funny,,....when she was finally done with me, the others had disappeared.......hmpfh! I am never teaching another of your classes again, dear brother!!

I'm almost certain that I can talk mom and dad into letting me visit during the holidays. If I can, I'm going to come. As for food on the table, your ice cream is a wonderful start. I doubt that I could think of a better way to start and finish a meal. In fact, you could just make the whole meal ice cream. Heh heh.

That boy / girl candy thing from Annie. I think I can explain. Annie gobbled her entire candy stash down on the first night. She really got kind of sick. Ros and I decided to go out again and so we asked her to go. She got upset with us because she wasn't feeling good and because she just wanted to sleep. She either doesn't remember that or is in denial. Anyway, Ros and I went out again without her since she insisted she didn't want to go and we got a huge take, larger than the first time out. So we hid it. We didn't want Annie gobbling this stash up and we were pretty sure she would if she got to it. Besides, we were a little put off at the time by being spoken to in the tone of voice she used when she refused to join us. Now she thinks we didn't want her to go but we did, really! So I guess she is kinda mad. Hopefully she will get over it.

Prince, who is going to talk with Bowser and see if we could have our thanksgiving day dinner early so that I can be there on Thanksgiving but not miss our Thanksgiving. :)

************

CNN CANINE: Gloria Vanderdog here.

In a canine upset of the century, the Trumpet won the election and is prepared to assume the super top dog position. In his victory speech he called for unity. Yet he still is apparently planning to include chupacabra in his cabinet and appointment to the supreme court of courtly canines. One wonders how this is all going to play out. Personally I'm not holding out for a lot of unity.

Returning you to Atlanta for analysis of the election results ad infinitum ad nausium.

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

It will be lovely to have you here for Thanksgiving if you can make it.....Roscoe's cousin, JellyBean, will be here and she is always up for something....she is quite fond of chasing squirrels.....Annie finds her high energy exhausting and doesn't have much to do with her....she is part terrier like Jack, plus poodle, so you can see she is a high energy dog....I am sure you will enjoy her.......is there anything special you would like to see on the dinner table for the holiday? while there is no meat in the house, I am sure the mess tent will have turkey or ham or both....I will be making my ice cream that you seemed to like a lot....Annie says there should only be girl candy...no boy candy...I am not sure what that is all about, but I am sure she will let me know later

TQ who is going to be practicing recipes between now and Thanksgiving ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry things are so grim there but to be honest I think they are grim everywhere this morning. Stay skinny girl, it becomes you.

Roscoe, who thinks it may be time to work on his own weight now that the stash is all but gone. Oh how I will miss it. (We will finish it this morning.)

************

***TOP SECRET*** TO: Will-o'-the Whippet, CAMP TQ, VA FROM: ROSCOE

Beware. Word has it that the Trumpet plans to appoint chupacabra to the cabinet and the supreme court. Nothing could be worse news than that. Nothing!

That being said, there is still hope. All of his supreme court nominees have to be approved by the senate and that is where the good folks of Lassie can be effective. Using the rule of 60 (60 of 100), her forces can prevent votes on major issues including chupacabra occupying the supreme court. There is hope. And in two years perhaps we can move congress into a Lassie led majority! Hope springs eternal!

**************

Dear TQ,

Roscoe and I are going to spend some more time here in Florida but he will definitely be there by Thanksgiving. I'm kind of thinking about joining him if dad and mom are OK with my not being home for the holiday. I'll let you know for sure later.

Prince, who is sad that the candy stash has run out.

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

life is grim here.....mom announced this morning that there would be no celebratory DQ sausage biscuits......I responded by pointing out that we could all do with some comfort food after which she gave me dry kibble with leftover rice......same breakfast as yesterday.........no wonder I am so skinny.....

Annie who plans to accumulate her own stash of snacks and candy and NOT share with older male canine relatives...EVER.....

in spite of the Trumpette candidate winning the election, we got off easy as far as the chupe's plan of destruction.....our watching and listening wawas determined their cases of beer did arrive, and there was loud partying to be heard.....Annie was aware of the strange noises and had to be bribed with a dish of ice cream with sprinkles to go back into the house and be quiet.....certainly the chupes are aware of our presence, but no point in calling attention to it while they are drinking and carousing.....fortunately, it rained and that probably had a lot to do with why we were not attacked....our wawas on duty out there have reported that the camp has been breaking up this morning and the chupes leaving in 2s and 3s every hour.....the mouse spies said that a messenger from Trumpette Headquarters arrived with a request for them to move to Maryland for some very important work.....of course, we are still on heightened alert, knowing that chupes cannot be trusted....

First, rest assured that your most recent message has been received. Secondly, there is little that you can do now other than maintain a state of preparedness. Thirdly, you will remember that the fat raccoon that provided the information has previously been tested using anti-chupe toxin. And truly this one is not quite fat enough to be the same dude.

You must remember that there are a large contingency of police dogs guarding the pole places and that they will deal with any so called poll watchers who are not official and whose purpose it is to bully and intimidate. So far this morning, as far as I know, voting has been peaceful. Prince and I did take Tom to dog park so that he could relax. He seems tense, but then, there is that human voting thing going on as well and apparently he feels the same about his candidate as we do about ours.

Now it's just about waiting patiently and being alert of any aggression on the part of the Trumpet led chupacabra.

************

Dear Pudgy...er, Annie,

It's up to you if you believe the truths that I told you. I suppose I shouldn't have expected you to. After all, you do seem to live in an alternate universe. Just know that Roscoe and I love you anyway.

Prince, who is going to have his next treat from his stash (oh, so good!).

************

Dear Annie,

Please enjoy you cookies. Just be careful not to choke on them as you gobble them down.

Seriously though, please stay in with mom tonight. Trouble is brewing in the chupacabra world and its close to our Virginia home.

Roscoe, who is joining Prince for a stash treat and a lot of laughs. It's too bad you rushed home so quickly, but then, I suppose you wouldn't have laughed as loud as Prince and I (snicker).

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

early this morning our IT experts realized none of the messages we sent out yesterday got thru....possible chupe interference is suspected......I do hope you receive this one because the situation here is grave...............the parabolic ears installed in the trees facing the chupe camp are not 100% because of the distance involved, but using the information gained from them and the mice spies (they do like thinking of themselves as spies) has apprised us of serious intentions from the chupe camp.....first of all, they are under the employ of the Trumpette party, and their purpose, should their leader be defeated by the Lassie party, is to create pandemonium wherever they can....if they lose it will be, they say, because the election was rigged against them....the Trumpette party has advocated that all chupes and other followers basically create as much hubbub and furor as possible against any non-believers.......the Trumpette Party headquarters will send out a signal when the chaos is to begin........in the event that the Trumpette Party candidate does win the election, cases of Trumpette beer will be delivered to the chupe camp and they are to party and celebrate...at this time they will no longer be in the employ of the Trumpette Party and any tomfoolery the chupes do will not be on the hands of the official Trumpettes........also, those who have shown themselves to have worked hard for the Party will be rewarded in some way and the head of the nearby chupe camp is hoping for a reward ......he has been overheard to brag about bullying voters into casting their ballot for the Trumpette hopeful in a variety of awful ways, such as intimidation, blackmail, physical punishment, etc. etc....there was one comment that was heard by 2 mice, but not by our wawas, that Camp TQ was to be wiped out completely whether or not the head Trumpette wins.....

The Gonzalez cows have been hollering and complaining for 2 days.....investigating wawas were not able to get close due to several strange men in the pastures.....hmmmm

naturally, everybody here is feeling Extremely Tense.....the chupes are supposed to wait for a signal from the Trumpette Party headquarters before starting any trouble, but how likely is it that they will wait? we have managed to obtain 6 canines from other militia groups and 2 from your police trainees, but everybody else is on high alert, too, so nobody really can afford to spare any of their men for us...

On top of all this, a raccoon showed up last night right outside the window where TQ was sitting...he made a lot of noise and at first we thought he was the one that tried to see you, but because he was acting so oddly Sgt. Muttonchops shot him with the anti-chupe toxin and he poofed does he look at all familiar to you? we have not been able to ascertain if he is the one who came looking for you and who gave us the information about the chupe camp.....accompanied by a couple of the armed wawas, I returned to his tree....the gift bag of apples was gone, but there was no response to my knocking on his tree...... ********************************************

Dear Prince

do you really think I will believe this story you made up about me not wanting to go out for more Trick or Treat candy with you and my brother? me? the girl who is always ready for fun and adventure? I certainly do not recall any tummy ache of any sort....you know I have been having trouble with anorexia so you should have realized that I desperately needed the extra calories.....

Annie who is feeling tricked and deceived and must go practice poses to calm down

********************************************

Dear Roscoe

I feel guilt over nothing, especially after Prince spilled the beans about how y'all snuck out again after I was asleep on Halloween to get more candy and did not share any with me....I whined about it to mom and she said you and Prince were very bad boys to be so mean to me....so there! (I was kinda hoping for a dog biscuit out of this, but mom did not give me one)

Annie who is going to bake a whole tray of cookies and eat them all herself, not saving any for the Bad Boys

I have spoken with the commander. These are your orders. All special ops are to return to HQ immediately. The mice are to be warned to hide and wait for the all clear. They should take into hiding with them adequate supplies to last several days. Post guards on the perimeter of the property and around the house. All liberty passes are cancelled except mine. By order of the commander I will serve as an outpost for information coordination and disbursement. All top secret military messages will be sent to the Florida HQ for processing. The purpose of this is to avoid chupacabra spies from obtaining top secret information, battle plans and the like. It may coincidently also prevent CNN CANINE from obtaining documents that are top secret and blabbing them over the airways. Prepare for the ugliest. Make certain anti-chupe toxin is available and ready for use. I have sent bomber eagles so ready the Chihuahuas who have been trained for air warfare.

Our official scribe Motto Badwhiskers is currently contacting commanders of other units throughout the eastern US requesting backup. First to respond has been the Mississippi unit who are grateful for the help given to them. Others are now responding too, so you may have a sudden influx of soldiers and special ops forces. We have ordered additional weapons including toxin to be delivered to Virginia HQ. Be prepared with Chihuahua soldiers to unload and store these materials. First supplies should arrive today, probably late afternoon. More may arrive tomorrow early, but not late as it would put the delivery system in jeopardy with the chupacabra should they be in full mischief mode. Make all preparations post haste.

Let's hope Lassie wins. You can get a picture of what all of dogdom will be like if the Trumpet should succeed.

*********

Dear Annie, poor, poor Annie,

We only told you about how you sent us away and about your stomach ache 'cuz it was true. Sorry you are so ruffled over this. Perhaps poses will help.

Prince

************

Dear TQ,

Roscoe and Prince asked me to message you. They tell me there may be a bit of a ruckus there after the election results are in tomorrow evening. They suggest that you stay inside with doors locked. Our Chihuahua forces and other canines will handle to ruckus. You need only be concerned about your safety.

Annie may wish to go out and do battle with the bad ones. It is strongly recommended that she be kept inside. You can tell her, of course, that you need personal protection and that you need her to be close just in case a chupacabra or two find their way into the house.

Wishing you good luck during these trying times, Tom

Tom

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."- Henry David Thoreau

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance, the wise grows it under his feet. - James Oppenheim, short-story writer, novelist, poet

We should consider every day lost in which we have not danced at least once. - Nietzsche, philosopher

There is bad news to report....from what the wawas can hear with their parabolic ears and from what the mice can discern, the chupes are apparently in the employ of the Trumpette party and if their candidate loses (due to the election being rigged against them) the chupes will stage a big uprising in protest, creating as much crime and chaos as possible in whatever way they want....This will be made to look like the doings of the Lassie party wherever possible....the only way to avoid this pandemonium is if "the greatest President ever created by God" wins the election.........if that happens, then the chupes have been promised by Trumpette headquarters a huge party and all the beer they want, after which time they are no longer in the employ of the Trumpette party and can go ahead and cause havoc if they so desire..........

the good news is that the Free Hunting Here and Hunt Here signs and arrows went up yesterday afternoon and this morning.....The Gonzalez cows have been bellowing all day since early morn.......we have sent an investigative team over there, but the source of the problem was not able to be discovered due to the amount of stranger humans that were around the pasture areas....some of the upset was possibly due to the occasional chupe straggling through on the way to their campsite....apparently they are not allowed to create bedlam until late Tues....they will be waiting for a signal from Trumpette headquarters.....

first....how likely are the chupes NOT to riot whether their exalted leader wins or not? second....how likely are the chupes willing to wait until they get the okay from Trumpette headquarters before going bonkers

security is being beefed up here

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Prince! I said "PRINCE!!"

what do you mean y'all went out again on Halloween---and without me?!! you really expect me to accept that fake story of how I was sleeping and how out of the kindness of your little hearts you did not want to disturb me?!! me?!! I, who am naturally always up for adventure??? and you got a LARGE second haul of candy which neither of you shared with me????? then there is your story about my supposed tummy ache from eating my candy....that story is so patently absurd it is not worth arguing about BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW IT IS NOT TRUE

Annie who is quite ruffled about this abuse and must go lie down before her head explodes *deep breath* *deep breath*

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